The political economy of value: What wine teaches us about the contemporary global economy and its inequalities

How can we understand the contemporary global economy and its inequalities? Few would deny that finding answers to this question is critical for building a more just, cooperative and sustainable economic system. This book shows that inequality has its roots in processes of value creation, appropriation and redistribution. Through the analysis of the wine industries of South Africa and Italy, it unpacks the tangible, symbolic and experiential undertakings that are behind the goods we produce, trade, consume and reuse or recycle. The book sheds light on how different forms of power are exercised in the global economy, by whom, and with what consequences for producers, workers and nature – both in the Global South and the Global North.